Iran security chief accuses U.S. of ‘smuggling’ oil through Hormuz, alleging Iranian forces strike five or six transfer boats nightly

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused the United States of moving oil through routes near Oman in what he called a “smuggling” operation, and said Iranian forces strike five or six boats involved each night. He rejected President Donald Trump’s repeated statements that the Strait of Hormuz is open, saying: “You are smuggling, while the strait is under Iran’s control and we are managing it.”

Rezaei alleged that U.S. Central Command oversees the operation with help from the UAE military, using smaller vessels to transfer oil to larger tankers. CENTCOM and the UAE had not immediately confirmed his allegations.

The rival accounts come amid competing restrictions on shipping through the strait. CENTCOM has said the main shipping lanes are clear of mines and open to vessels complying with the U.S. blockade on Iran; Iranian officials say Tehran controls passage and have threatened vessels using routes they consider unauthorized.